Switch for the closing of an electric circuit for a certain period



H. A. SCHEPELER.

SWITCH FOR THE CLOSING OF AN ELECTRIC CIRCUIT FOR A CERTAIN PERIOD.

APPLICATION FILED ocnao. 1918,

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UNITED STATES 7 PATENT OFFICE.

HERMAN AX EL SCHEPELER, OF COPENHAGEN, DENMARK, ASSIG-NOR TO A/S MEKANO,

OE COPENHAGEN, DENIVLARK.

swn'orr FOR THE cLosING or CAN ELECTRIC crncurr Fort A cER'rAmrEmon.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 3, 1920.

To all whom it may concern:

; Be it known that I, HERMAN Axnr. Sormr- ELER, subject of the Kingdom of Denmark,

residing at Copenhagen, Denmark, have invented certain new and useful Improvements' in Switches for the Closing of an Electric Circuit for, a Certain Period, of Which the following is a specification. 1

This invention relates to electric light systems and more particularly to an automatic device whereby lights are lit for a predetermined time, the light circuit being automatically closed by a' convenient switch and automatically opened at the end of the predetermined time. The apparatus of the present invention i particularly well adapted forlighting halls or passage ways since; it provides for automatically and without any manual operation breaking the circuitto extinguish the lights after a period of time which is. ordi-.

' narily sufiicient for the use of the lights.

A feature of this invention is the provision for a principal or light circuit of electro-magnetic means for closing the light cir-' cuit, an electric heating unit electrically connected with said electro-magnetic device, heat controlled means controlling by its expansion and contraction the lighting period and means operated by said heat controlled means for closing said light circuit independently of the closing of the circuit effected by the electro-magnetic device to permit I,

the electro-magnetic device to assume a circuit opening position without opening the principal or light circuit. Thus by this means it is not left to the electro-magnetic device to maintain the circuit closed during the entire period.

The above and other advantages and advantageous results will be hereinafter more fully pointed out.

V In the drawings:

Fig. 1'is a diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a detail of the final circuit breaking switch, showing particularly the blowout magnet. The conductors 1 and 2 are connected respectively to the positive and negative ter-.'

heating unit preferably and as herein illustrated comprises a resistance wire inclosed in a bulb containing hydrogen and thus forms an incandescent lamp the radiant heat of which acts on a member 6 which expands under'the influence thereof. When the button 3 is operated to close the secondary circuit mentioned, the armature 13 isattractcd by the core of the electro-magnet 14 and in so moving a cross-bar 15 on the armature causes a contact 16 in the principal light circuit to be raised and engage the contact 18 connected to the negative terminal of the source of current and thus closing the cir cuit and lighting the lamps. Simultaneously, the cross-bar 15 of the" armature causes a contact 17 to be raised and engage a contact 19 connected to the circuit containing the eleotro-magnet and the. heating unit and thus maintaining closed said circuit independently of the manually operated buttons 3. It will be seen'therefore that it is' merely necessary to push the button. 3 and release the same the next instant, the electromagnet'maintaining its own circuit closed automatically.

The apparatus remains in this condition during the heating and expansion of the heat controlled member 6 and until said member 6 approaches the limit of its predetermined expansion when the duty of the electro-magnet to maintain the circuit closed. is relieved. For this purpose the member 6 engages an arm 7 of a lever 8 having two resilient andrelatively longer arms formed therewith. On the end of the longest arm of the lever 8 is provided a contact 10 which when the member 6 approaches-the predetermined limit of expansion engages with a contact 12 connected to the lamp circuit and thus closes said circuit independently of the contacts 16 and 18, the negative terminal of the source of current being connected to the lever 8 through the heat controlled member 6. In this condition the lamp circuit will be maintained closed even though the elec tro-magnet is deenergized and the contacts 16-18 broken-with the result that when said contacts 16 and 18 are brokenthere is.

electrically connected with said electro-mag-.-

no resulting spark. .The continued expansion ofthe heat controlled member 6 causes a contact 9 onLthe'shorter of the two arms of the lever 8 to engage a contact 11 connected to the circuit containing the electromagnet and the heating unit 5. Thus, when the contact 9 engages the contact 11 the 'electro-magnet and heating unit circuit is short circuited thereby deenergizing the electro-magnet and rendering the heating unit 5 ineffective as a heatingunit. This short circuiting of the electro-magnet and heating unit circuit takes place when the heat controlled member 5 reaches the limit of its'predetermined expansion and at th s time the armature 13 returns to its circuit opening position. It should be 'noted however that this movement of thearmature 13 does not cause the light circuit to be broken since the period during which the lights re-' main lit in the present invention is not terminated when the heating member 5'reaches the limit of its predetermined expansion the period extending to the contracting period of the heat controlled member 6. It should be noted that current passes through only one contact namely 1012 at this time.

After a predetermined contraction of the heat controlled member 6, the spring con nected to the lever 8 causes the contact 10 to be removed from the contact 12 thus breaking the circuit and extinguishing the lights. In order to blow out the spark resulting from the breaking of the main lamp circuit by the contacts 1012 there is provided a blow magnet 20 as shown in Fig. 2, the linesof-force indicated by 21 are deflected downwardly by an armature 22 carried by the base plate 23 so that they will extend across the gap of the contacts 10-12 and thus extinguish the spark in the well known manner.

It will be clear from the foregoing, that with the present apparatus the lamp circuit is closed instantaneously upon the operation of the button 3 and independently of the heating unit or the heat controlled member therefore the periods during which the lights may be lit may be varied or regulated within wide limits without difficulty by merely substituting difi'erent heating units without altering the rest of the circuit. This apparatus operates equally well for long or short periods of lighting.

Furthermore, by the utilization of both the expansion and contraction of the heat ing member, current is not consumed by the heating unit and electro-magnet during part of the lighting period.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an electric light system, a light circuit; an electromagnetic device for closing said light circuit; an electric heating unit netic device; heat-controlled means control- .ling by its expansion and contraction the heat-controlled means for closing said light circuit independently of the closing of the circuit effected by said electro-magnetic device to permit the electro-magnetic device to assume a circuit opening position without .opening the light circuit.

2. In an electric light system, a light cir- Iighting-period; and means operated .by said cuit; an electro-magnetic device for closing opening position without opening the light.

circuit. 7

3. In an electric light system; a lightcircuit; an electro-magnetic device for closing said light circuit; an electric heating unit electrically connected with said electromagnetic device heat-controlled means controlling byits expansion and contraction the lighting period; means operated by the expansion of the heat controlled means for closing said light circuit independently of the closing of the circuit effected by the electro-magnetic device to permit the electro-magnetic device to assume a circuit opening position without opening the light circuit; and means operated at the further expansion of the heat-controlled means permitting the electro-magnetic device to assume said circuit opening position.

4. In an electric light system, a light circuit; an electro-magnetic device "for closing said light circuit; an electric heating unit connected electrically with said electro-mag netic device; heat controlled means controlling "by its expansion and contraction the lighting period; means operated by the expansion of the heat controlled means for closing said light circuit independently of the closing of the circuit effected by the electro-magnetic device to permit the electro-magnetic device to assume a circuit opening position without opening the light circuit; and means operated at the further expansion of the heat-controlled means for permitting the elective-magnetic device to assume said circuit opening position and simultaneously rendering the heating unit ineffective.

5. In an electric light system, a light circlosing said li ht circuit inqle 'ndntly of the closing of tli tro-magnetic device to permit the electromagnetic device to assume a circuit 0 'e'ning' position without opening the light circuit; means operated at the further expansion of the heat-controlled means for permittin the electro-niagnetic device to assume sai circuit opening position and simultaneously rendering the heating unit ineffective; and means for causing the circuit to beopened during and controlled by the contraction of device for closing saidliglit circuit; and heat-controlled means influenced by said heating unit and controlling by its expansion and contraction the lighting period.

7. In an electric light system, a light circuit; an electro-magnetic device for closing said circuit; a secondary circuit for said electromagnetic device; an electric heating unit connected in the secondary circuit with the electro-magnetic. device; means for temporarily closing said secondary circuit to cause the electro-magnetic device and the heating unit to function; means operated by said electro-magnetic device for closing said secondary circuit independently of said temporary circuit closing means therefor; means operatd by said electro-magnetic device for closing said light circuit; heat-controlled means influenced by said heating unit and controlling by its expansion and contraction the lighting period; and means operated by said heat-controlled means for closing said light circuit independently of the closing of the circuit by the means operated 'by the electro-magnetic device to permit the electro-magnetic device and the means operated thereby to assume its circuit opening position without opening. the circuit.

8. Inan electric light system, a light circuit; an electro-magnetic device for closing said circuit; a secondary circuit for said electro-magnetic device; an electric heating unit connected in the secondary circuit with the electro-magnetic device; means for temporarily closing said secondary circuit to cause the electro-magnetic device and the heating unit to function; means 0 erated said electro-magnetic dev ce for c osing sai e circuit efiec'te by the eleccircuit e secondary circuit independently of said temporary circuit closing means therefor;

means operated by said electro-magnetic device for closing said lightcircuit; heat-controlled means infiuenced by said heating unit and controlling by its expansion and contraction the lighting period; and means operated by the expansion of the heat-controlled means for closing said lighting circuit indeiapendently of the closing of the ected by the means operated by the electro-magnetic device to permit the electro-magnetic device and the means operated thereby to assume a circuit opening position without opening said light circuit.

t). In an electric light system, a light circu t; a n electro-magnetic device for closing said circuit; a secondary circuit for said electro-inagnetic device; an electric heating unit connected in the secondary circuit with the electro-magnetic device; means for temporarily closing said secondary circuit to cause the electro-magnetic device and the heating unit to function; means operated by said electro-magnctic device for closing said secondary circuit independently of said temporary circuit closirig means therefor; means operated by said electrd-magnetic device for closing said light circuit; heatcontrolled means influenced by said heatmg unit and controlling by its expansion and contraction the lighting period; means operated by the expansion of the heat-controlled means for closing said light circuit independently of the closing of the circuit effected by the means operated by the electro-magnetic device to permit the electromagnetic device and the means operated thereby to assume a circuit opening position without opening the light circuit; and means operated at the further expansion of the heat-controlled means for permitting the electro-magnetic device to assume said circult opening position.

10. In an electric light system, a light circu t; an electro-magnetic device for closing said circuit; a secondary circuit for said electro-magnetic device; an electric heatin unit connected in the secondary circuit with the electro-n'iagnetic device; means for temporarily closing said secondary circuit to cause the'electro-magnetic device and the heating unit to function; means 0 erated by said electro-magnetic device for clbsin said seconda circuit independently of sai temporary circuit closing means therefor; means 0 rated by said electro-magnetic device for c osmg said light circuit; heat-controlled means influenced by said heating unitand controll ng by 1ts expansion and contraction the lighting period; means 0 rated by the Vice to permit the electro-magnetic device and the means operated thereby to assume a circuit opening position Without opening the light circuit; and means operated by the further expansion of the heat-controlled means for permitting the electro-magnetic means to assume said circuit opening position and simultaneously rendering said heating unit inefiective to expand said heat-controlled means.

11. In an electric light system, alight c1rcuit; an electro-magnetic device for closing said circuit; a secondary circuit for said electro-magnetic device; an electric heating unit connected in the secondary circuit with the electro-magnetic device; means for temporarily closing said secondary circuit to cause the electro-magnetic device and the heating unit to function; means operated by said electro-magnetic device for closing said secondary circuit independently of said temporary circuit closing means therefor means operated by said electro-magnetic device for closing said light circuit; heat-controlled means influenced by said heating unit and controlling by its expansion and contraction the lighting period; means operated by the expansion of the heat-controlled means for closing said light circuit independently of the closing of the circuit effected by the means operated by the electro-magnetic device to permit the electro-r'nagnetic device and the means operated thereby to assume a circuit opening position without opening the light circuit; means operated by the further expansion of the heat-controlled means for permitting the electro-magnetic means to assume said circuit opening position and simultaneously rendering said heating unit ineffective to expand said heat-controlled means; and means for 'causi'ng said light circuit to be opened during and controlled by the contraction of the heat controlled unit connected in the secondary circuit with the electrotmagnetic device; means for temporarily closing said secondary c1rcu1t to aaaaeae the lighting period; and means for causing said light circuit to be opened during and controlled by the contraction of the heat controlled means.

13. In an apparatus for making and breaking electrical circuits, a heating unit; a heat controlled member influenced thereby; a lever operated by said heat controlled member said lever having two arms one shorter than the other; a lamp circuit; means carried by the longer of said arms for closing and opening said lamp circuit; a secondary circuit; and means carried by the shorter of said arms for closing said secondary circuit said arms being resilient and the contacts being so arranged that both circuits may be maintained closed by said long and short arms at the same time.

14. In an electric light system; a light circuit; an electromagnetic device for closing said lightcircuit; an electric heating unit connected with said electro-magnetic device; heat-controlled means controlling by its expansion and contraction the lighting period; means operated by said heat-controlled means for closing said light circuit independently of the closing of the circuit effect ed by said electro-magnetic device to permit the electro-magnetic device to assume a c1rcuit opening position Without opening the principal light circuit; means for causing the circuit to be opened during and controlled by the contraction of the heat controlled means and a magnetic blow out to blow out the arcs resulting from the openin of said circuit.

n testimony whereof, I aflix my signature in the resence of two witnesses.

ERMAN AXEL SCHEPELER. Witnesses T EBERLLE ESSEGAN, WYGADE E. COPENHAGE- 

